Yarn winding apparatus and process



Aug. 8, 1967 R. c. JACKSON YARN WINDING APPARATUS AND PROCESS 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 9, 1964 INVENTOR- ROBERT C. JACKSON BY W Q4 AGENT Aug. 8, 1967 c, JACKSON 3,334,827

YARN WINDING APPARATUS AND PROCESS Filed Dec. 9, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. ROBERT C. JACKSON AGENT Aug. 8, 1967 R. c. JACKSON 3,334,827

YARN WINDING APPARATUS AND PROCESS Filed Dec. 9, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet s FIG. 4.

I N VEN TOR. ROBERT C. JACKSON BY @(l AGENT United States Patent 3,334,827 YARN WINDING APPARATUS AND PROCESS Robert C. Jackson, Raleigh, N.C., assignor to Monsanto Company, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 9, 1964, Ser. No. 417,146 11 Claims. (Cl. 242-18) This invention relates to yarn winding apparatus and process and, more particularly, relates to a multiple bobbin chuck unit and process for automatically transferring yarn from a packaged to an unpackaged bobbin.

In textile practice, synthetic continuous yarns are spun and drawn at high speeds. To take up the yarns at comparable speeds compatible high speed winding apparatus is in demand. The conventional method of packaging yarns by manually lacing-up bobbins separately is timeconsuming, wasteful, and too slow a practice for present high speed spinning methods. Efforts in textile winding are directed to providing automatic bobbin chuck devices incorporating features for automatically separating yarn from a packaged bobbin and transferring the yarn to an unpackaged bobbin to speed up winding practices. The automatic winding devices suggested have shortcomings relating to efiiciency and speed with which one bobbin is doffed and another brought into a stand-by position relating to the method of transferring yarn from one bobbin to another while simultaneously breaking yarn away from packaged bobbins, relating to waste and scuffing of yarn occurring in the transferring sequences, and relating to safety of operation of the devices.

It is the object of this invention to provide novel yarn winding apparatus comprising multiple bobbin chuck means and process for automatically transferring a continuous yarn being taken up on one bobbin to another unpackaged bobbin.

Accordingly, the invention comprises an automatic yarn winding apparatus having a pair of mirror image upstanding bobbin chuck means which are connected by means adapted to translate reversible movement thereto. Each chuck means includes an articulating lever assembly pivotally connected to a bracket means. A bobbin is rotatably supported on each lever assembly and aligned in a vertical plane projected between the lever assemblies.

In a winding position for taking u yarn, one lever assembly is locked in its uppermost position defined by the bobbin carried thereon contacting the peripheral surface of a driven roll and taking up yarn delivered thereto while, the other lever assembly is positioned in its lowermost position with the articulating levers thereof supporting the bobbin thereon in a stand-by ready position below the bobbin taking up yarn and in peripheral engagement with the drive roll. A nip roll having peripheral engagement with the drive roll is provided to guide and control the passage of yarn to the bobbin taking up yarn. Lock means on each bracket means lock each lever assembly in its Winding position and unlock means on each lever assembly operatively unlocks said lock means.

A transfer of yarn from the bobbin being packaged with yarn to the stand-by bobbin is effected by pivoting the upper lever assembly away from the drive roll, braking the bobbin with brake means and then pivoting the upper lever assembly to its lowermost position. In moving the upper lever assembly downward the lower assembly is moved upward through the connecting means and the bobbin on the lower lever assembly is carried engagingly around the drive roll to an upper winding position. When the packaged bobbin is braked, the yarn continues to travel from between the nip and drive roll and inere tially is fed to the bite of the stand-by bobbin and the drive roll and is nipped therebetween. Simultaneously, while the yarn is being transferred, the yarn is broken away from the packaged bobbin.

bores 24 and 24'.

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The automatic Winding apparatus is safe, rapid, and efiicient in operation, simple in construction, and inexpensive to manufacture.

A better understanding of tthe winding apparatus will be derived by reference to the detailed description which follows and to the accompanying drawings. In the draw- 3 FIGURE 1 is a side elevation view showing the winding apparatus in operation with parts broken away for clarity purposes;

FIGURE 2 is an elevation view looking in from the left side of FIG. 1 with parts broken away;

FIGURE 3 is a schematic elevation view showing three sequences of operation of the automatic transfer of the yarn; and

FIGURE 4 is a side elevation view opposite to that of FIG. 1.

Referring to FIGS. 1-4, the automatic winding apparatus 1 embodying the invention comprises a pair of twin, upstanding bobbin chuck assemblies 10 and 11, arranged side by side in spaced relation. Assemblies 10 and 11, as viewed in FIG. 2, have left and right side opposite constructions, respectively, and are mirror images of each other. For convenience and clarity of description one chuck assembly 10, only, will be described. It will be understood that the other assembly 11 is identical eX- cept for reversal of design so that the facing sides coincide in structure as do the outer sides thereof. The same reference numerals are applied to similar components in assemblies 10 and 11 with the exception that the components of assembly 11 are identified with prime numbers.

Chuck assembly 10 comprises an upper lever 12 having a yoke and a heel 13 at its lower end, and a rotatable cylinder assembly including braking means extending perpendicularly therefrom with a bobbin 14 mounted thereon at its upper end. The upper end of lever 12 is formed into a handle 15 to which a brake lever 16 is pivotally attached. Brake lever 16 is biased by a spring 17 and is operatively connected to the braking means. Lever 12 is pivotally connected at its lower end to a hub end of another lever 18 by a pin 19. Pin 19 is secured to lever 18 by a set screw and, preferably, bearings are provided on pin 19. Opposite the hub end thereof lever 18 has a yoke pivotally connected to a fixed bracket 20 by a pin 21 secured by a set screw. Preferably, bearings and washers are used to provide free oscillation of lever 18. The yoke end of lever 18 has a dog 22 and lever 18 has a grooved channel 23 formed intermediate its ends. Channel 23 connects at one end with an open-ended bore 24 formed in lever 18. A stop means 25, preferably resilient is carried on lever 18. On its outer side lever 18 has an elongated slot 26, and a bar 27'i slideably mounted in slot 26 and is retained therein by retainers 28 straddling slot 26 and secured to lever 18.

Bracket 20 has a threaded bore therein and has a latch or lock member 30 pivotally mounted about a pin in the bore. Lock member 30 carries a spring 31 that engages with a Wall 32 formed on bracket 20. A pulley 43 is rotatably and angularly mounted on bracket 20.

Chuck assemblies 10 and 11 are interconnected through a cable 34. However, it will be understood that other means for interconnecting the assemblies 10 and 11 so that one moves up when the other moves down, such as a gear arrangement, may be substituted therefor. Cable 34 extends through bore 24 on one lever 18, passes over groove 23 and is laced engagingly around pulley 33 thereof, extends to and around the other pulley 33 of the other chuck assembly 11 and in a like manner passes over groove 23 andthrough bore 24' of lever 18'. At each of the ends of cable 34 a sleeve retainer 35 and 35 fixedly secured thereto prevents cable 34 from slipping through v The chuck assemblies and 11 are positioned upstandingly and side by side with the bobbin mounting cylinder assemblies projecting into the space between levers 12 and 12' and in upper and lower alignment in the same vertical plane extended between the assemblies.

A drive roll 40 driven by a motor 41 is positioned above brackets 20 and 20 in the same vertical plane and in parallel alignment with the axes of bobbins 14 and 14', and a nip roll 42 is positioned in peripheral engagement with drive roll 40. At one side of nip roll 42 there is a traverse device 43 for traversing yarn traveling to bobbins 14 and 14'.

In operation, assume that the Winding device shown in FIGS. 1-4 is in operation and that the drive roll 40 and traverse device 43 are driven in conventional manner. Assume further that chuck assembly 10 is in a winding position as shown in FIG. 1 where its corresponding bobbin 14 is taking up yarn and chuck assembly 11 is in a ready or stand-by position. A yarn 44 is supplied from a source thereof to traverse device 43 which traverses the yarn back and forth across the face of bobbin 14 of assembly 10. The yarn is nipped as it passes between nip roll 42 and drive roll 40. Bobbin 14 of assembly 11, in the meantime, is unpackaged and is in peripheral contact with drive roll 40 below bobbin 14 of assembly 10. Unpackaged or fresh bobbin 14 is positioned substantially diametrically opposed from nip roll 42 while bobbin 14 of assembly 10 is positioned between nip roll 42 and bobbin 14.

When bobbin 14 of assembly 10 is fully packaged and is ready for doffing, an operator moves handle 15 of assembly 10 and pivots lever 12 in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 1, moving the yarn packaged bobbin 14 a short distance away from drive roll 40 to discontinue driving the bobbin. The operator now applies a braking force to bobbin 14 through brake lever 16 to stop rotation of bobbin 14. At this time, the yarn continues to be fed from between the nip roll 42 and drive roll 40 and is carried around the periphery of the drive roll into the nip or the -cusp formed by the rolling surfaces of bobbin 14 of assembly 11 and drive roll 50, FIG. 3, view B. The yarn begins to fold and is quickly taken in or nipped between bobbin 14 and drive roll 40 and begins to wrap about bobbin 14' of assembly 11, meanwhile, breaking away from bobbin 14 of assembly 10. The operator then moves lever 12 of assembly 10 further in a counterclockwise direction so that heel 13 of lever 12 contacts slide bar 27 and moves the latter rightward into contact with lock member 30 to rock the latter in a counterclockwise direction toward wall 32 on bracket 20. Member 30 is then unlocked and lever 12 is pivoted further in a counterclockwise direction until heel 13 engages cushion 25 of lever 18, and the two levers 12, 18 connect or engage to pivot as one in a counterclockwise direction. Lever 18 of assembly 10 carries cable 34 downward and cable 34 applies a lifting force to pivot lever 18' of assembly 11 in a clockwise direction, FIG. 4. Thus, as assembly 10 moves down, assembly 11 moves up in a see-saw manner. Bobbin 14' on assembly 11 now collecting yarn is elevated upwardly along the periphery of the drive roll 40 to a final take-up position. When assembly 10 reaches its lowermost limit position defined by lever 18 engaging a stop 46 on bracket 20, bobbin 14' of assembly 11 will be positioned in a packaging or winding position.

Bobbin 14 of assembly 10 is then doffed and an unpackaged bobbin 14 is mounted thereon. When another bobbin transfer is to be made lever 12 is pivoted in a clockwise direction (FIG. 1) to bring the unpackaged bobbin 14 into peripheral contact with drive roll 40.

FIGURE 3,, in three sequences, illustrates the automatic transferring of yarn. In sequence A, yarn is being taken up on the upper bobbin 14 while the lower empty or fresh bobbin 14' is idling on the drive roll. In B, the packaged bobbin 14 is pivoted away from drive roll 40 and braked. It will be noted that the moving yarn no longer being taken up on the full bobbin falls downward and by inertia moves into the intake side or mouth formed by the bite of the engaging surfaces of the empty, lower bobbin 14 and drive roll 40 and is instantly laced about the empty bobbin 14 and simultaneously broken away from the packaged bobbin 14. In C, the packaged bobbin 14 is further pivoted to a doif position thereby carrying the empty bobbin 14' periperally around the drive roll adjacent the nip roll 42 to a winding position.

The automatic yarn transfer winding apparatus is easy to operate and is positive in efiecting a yarn transfer.

It will be understood that variations and modifications of the illustrated embodiment of the invention are expected within the spirit of the invention and within the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Automatic yarn winding apparatus comprising in combination,

(a) bracket means,

(b) a pair of lever means each pivotally connected at one end to said bracket means,

(c) a bobbin rotatably carried on each of said lever means opposite the pivoted end thereof,

(d) means connecting said lever means to provide counter pivotal movement thereto,

(e) drive roll means,

(f) nip roll means peripherally engaging said drive roll means, a

(g) whereby, in a winding position for taking up yarn said nip roll means is at one side of said drive roll means, one of said bobbins is in a ready position at substantially the opposite side of said drive roll means from said nip roll means, and said other bobbin is in peripheral engagement with said drive roll means between said nip roll means and said one bobbin taking up yarn being delivered from between said nip roll means and said drive roll means.

2. Automatic yarn winding apparatus comprising in combination,

(a) a drive roll,

(b) bracket means,

(0) a plurality of lever means each pivotally secured at one end thereof to said bracket means,

((1) rotatable means adapted to carry bobbins supported on each of said plurality of lever means opposite said one end thereof, said rotatable means being positioned in the same vertical planeextended between said plurality of lever means,

(e) brake means on said plurality of lever means for braking said bobbins,

(f) nip roll means in peripheral engagement with said drive roll,

(g) said plurality of lever means when in a winding position supporting said bobbins one above the other in spaced relation and in engagement with said drive roll so that an upper bobbin takes up yarn delivered thereto from between said drive and nip roll means and a lower bobbin is rotatably driven in a stand-by position,

(h) means, interconnecting said plurality of lever means, operable to translate counter pivotal movement thereto so that when one lever means is actuated for disengaging said upper packaged bobbin from said drive roll and is then braked by said brake means, the yarn is delivered to the nip of said stand-by bobbin and drive rolls, is automatically transferred to the stand-by bobbin and is simultaneously broken away from the packaged bobbin.

3. Automatic yarn winding apparatus as in claim 2 wherein, each of said plurality of lever means comprises a pair of articulating levers.

4. Automatic yarn winding apparatus comprising in combination,

(a) fixed bracket means, (b) a pair of spaced, upstanding lever means each pivotally secured at the lower end thereof to said fixed bracket means and each having an articulating joint intermediate its end thereof,

(c) rotatable means normally carrying a bobbin mounted on each of said lever means,

(d) brake means for braking said bobbin mounted on each of said lever means at the upper end thereof, said rotatable means extending into the space between said pair of lever means and being aligned in thesame vertical plane extended therebetween,

(e) a drive roll positioned in said vertical plane, the axes of said drive roll and said bobbins being parallel,

(f) a nip roll peripherally engaging said drive roll providing a nip through which a yarn norm-ally delivered thereto passes,

g) lock means on said bracket means for locking said pair of lever means one at a time in an uppermost position,

(h) stop means on said bracket means for defining the lowermost position of said lever means,

(i) means interconnecting said pair of lever means to etfect counter pivotal movement thereof,

(j) means on each of said lever means for unlocking said locking means,

(k) whereby, in a winding position for taking up yarn traveling from said nip roll and said drive roll, one of said lever means is locked in its uppermost position by said lock means and the other lever means is positioned in its lowermost position defined by contact with said stop means, and said pair of bobbins are supported by said pair of lever means in peripheral contact with said drive roll in spaced upper-and lower positions with said upper bobbin taking up yarn and said lower bobbin being in a stand-by position.

5. An automatic winding apparatus as in claim 4 wherein said means interconnecting said plurality of lever means comprises a cable.

6. An automatic Winding apparatus as in claim 4 wherein, each of said pair of upstanding lever means comprises an upper and a lower lever pivotally connected to form a lever assembly, said lower lever being connected to said bracket and said upper lever having said rotatable means mounted thereon.

7. An automatic winding apparatus comprising,

(a) a pair of brackets each having a rotatable sheave mounted thereon,

(b) a pair of spaced, upstanding mirror image lever assemblies, each assembly comprising a pivotally connected upper and lower lever, said lower levers each being connected to a respective bracket and said upper levers each having rotatable bobbin cylinders arranged in parallel and projecting into the space between said lever assemblies,

(c) brake means on each of said upper levers for braking bobbins normally mounted on said bobbin cylinders,

(d) a drive roll positioned in parallel arrangement with said bobbins,

(e) a nip roll peripherally engaging said drive roll providing a nip through which a yarn normally delivered thereto passes,

(f) lock means on each of said brackets for locking said lever assemblies in their uppermost positions,

(g) stop means on each of said brackets for defining the lowermost position of said lever assemblies,

(h) means interconnecting said lower levers for translating counter pivotal movement thereto,

(i) slidable bar means mounted on each of said lower levers for unlocking said lock means,

(j) whereby, in a winding position for taking up yarn traveling from said nip roll and said drive roll, one of said lever assemblies is locked in its uppermost position by said lock means and the other lever assembly is positioned in its lowermost position dein combination,

(a) a driven roll,

(b) a nip roll in peripheral engagment with said driven roll,

(0) bracket means,

(d) a pair of right and left hand lever assemblies arranged in side by side relation, each lever assembly being pivotally secured to said bracket means,

(e) rotatable bobbin support having a bobbin mounted thereon on each lever assembly,

(f) locking means on said bracket means for locking said lever assemblies in their uppermost positions, (g) stop means on said bracket means for defining the lowermost positions of said lever assemblies,

(h) means connecting said lever assemblies and adapted to provide counter pivotal movement thereto,

(i) sheave means on said bracket means for guiding said connecting means from one to the other lever assembly,

(j) means on said lever assemblies for unlocking said locking means,

(k) whereby, in a yarn winding position for taking up yarn one of said lever assemblies is locked and pivoted in a position where the bobbin carried thereon contacts said drive roll and takes up yarn being delivered thereto from between said nip roll and said drive roll, and the other assembly is pivoted to a stand-by ready position defined by the unpackaged bobbin being in peripheral engagement with said drive roll below said other bobbin.

9. An automatic winding apparatus comprising, in combination,

(a) a drive roll,

(b) a pair of linked lever means each pivotally secured at one end and carrying bobbins at their opposite ends thereof,

(c) fixed mounting means for pivotally securing each of said pair of lever means thereto at said one end thereof,

(d) means interconnecting said pair of lever means for providing counter rockable movement of said pair of lever means,

(e) a lock on said mounting means for locking said pair of lever means,

(f) stop means on said mounting means for defining the lower limit positions of said pair of lever means,

(g) said bobbins and said drive roll being related such that said bobbins may be in peripheral contact with said drive roll, in upper and lower spaced and parallel positions,

(h) a nip roll positioned in peripheral engagement with said drive roll adjacent said upper bobbin, and

(i) traverse means for traversing yarn delivered thereto from a source thereof and extending between said nip roll means and said drive roll means and normally being taken up on said upper bobbin.

10. An automatic yarn winding apparatus comprising in combination,

(a) a pair of similar bobbin chucks of right and left hand construction and arranged in side by side spaced relation, each bobbin chuck including:

(1) a bracket provided with a pulley and pivoted locking means,

(2) a pair of uprightly positioned upper and lower articulating levers pivotally interconnected, said lower lever being pivotally connected to said bracket and said upper lever having a rotatable bobbin cylinder mounted at its opposite end 7 thereof and projecting into the space between said pair of bobbin chucks, (3) a bobbin mounted on said cylinder,

(4) brake means on said upper lever for braking said bobbin,

(5) stop means on said lower lever for registering with said one end of said upper lever,

(6) a bar slideably mounted in a groove in said lower lever for unlocking said pivoted locking means when said bar is actuated by said upper lever,

(7) means defining an open bore and an arcuate groove extending from said bore in said lower lever,

(b) cable means extending through each of said open bores and mounted around each of said sheave means and in said arcuate grooves for connecting said lower levers to provide counter pivotal rotation thereof,

(c) retainer means at each end of said cable means to prevent passage of the latter through said openend bores,

(d) a drive roll for rotatably driving said bobbins,

(e) said bobbins and said drive roll lying in the same vertical plane extended between said pair of bobbin chucks and in parallel relationship, said bobbins being actuable to peripherally engage said drive roll in upper and lower spaced positions,

(15) a nip roll positioned in peripheral engagement with said drive roll adjacent the upper of said bobbins,

(g) traverse means for traversing yarn delivered there-- to from a source thereof, said yarn normally extending from said traverse means between said nip roll and said drive roll and to said bobbins,

(h) whereby, when said upper bobbin is packaged with yarn and its corresponding upper lever is pivoted away from said drive roll and is braked by said brake means, said lower bobbin is elevated while in peripheral engagement with said drive roll into a winding position and automatically takes up the yarn that falls into the nip of said lower bobbin and said drive 'roll.

11. A process for automatically transferring a continuous yarn being delivered to and collected on one bobbin to a second lower positioned bobbin, both bobbins being surtacely driven by a drive roll comprising,

(a) disengaging said one bobbin from said drive roll and stopping rotation thereof to discontinue collection of yarn thereon,

(b) guiding the yarn being delivered to said one bobbin to fall into the nip formed by the engaging surfaces of the lower bobbin and the drive roll to cause the yarn to stack therein,

(c) engaging the yarn between the rotating surfaces of the lower bobbin and the drive roll,

(d) breaking away the yarn from the upper bobbin,

and

(e) winding the yarn upon the lower bobbin.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,647,697 8/1953 Pollock. 2,957,635 10/1960 Bisbe 242-18 FOREIGN PATENTS 761,689 11/ 1956 Great Britain.

STANLEY N. GILREATH, Primary Examiner. 

1. AUTOMATIC YARN WINDING APPARATUS COMPRISING IN COMBINATION, (A) BRACKET MEANS, (B) A PAIR OF LEVER MEANS EACH PIVOTALLY CONNECTED AT ONE END TO SAID BRACKET MEANS, (C) A BOBBIN ROTATABLY CARRIED ON EACH OF SAID LEVER MEANS OPPOSITE THE PIVOTED END THEREOF, (D) MEANS CONNECTING SAID LEVER MEANS TO PROVIDE COUNTER PIVOTAL MOVEMENT THERETO, (E) DRIVE ROLL MEANS. (F) NIP ROLL MEANS PERIPHERALLY ENGAGING SAID DRIVE ROLL MEANS, (G) WHEREBY, IN A WINDING POSITION FOR TAKING UP YARN SAID NIP ROLL MEANS IS AT ONE SIE OF SAID DRIVE ROLL MEANS, ONE OF SAID BOBBINS IS IN A READY POSITION AT SUBSTANTIALLY THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF SAID DRIVE ROLL MEANS FROM SAID NIP ROLL MEANS, AND SAID OTHER BOBBIN IS IN PERIPHERAL ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID DRIVE ROLL MEANS BETWEEN SAID NIP ROLL MEANS AND SAID ONE BOBBIN TAKING UP YARN BEING DELIVERED FROM BETWEEN SAID NIP ROLL MEANS AND SAID DRIVE ROLL MEANS. 